Air fryer shrimp
Garlicky lemon shrimp with lightly crisp edges over fluffy rice, with about seven minutes of actual cooking.
- 30 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $4.63 a serving
- 470 calories
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- ¾ cup jasmine rice, rinsed
- 12 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested, then cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 cup water
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 470 calories, 40 g protein, 59 g carbs and 8 g fat, and costs about $4.63 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No raw shrimp? Frozen raw shrimp works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the rice, water and of the salt in a small and bring it over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, then take it off the heat and leave it covered.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: No peeking. The steam trapped under the lid is what cooks the rice.the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 3 min
the shrimp dry and them in a bowl with the oil, garlic, paprika, pepper, lemon and the rest of the salt.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Spread the shrimp in the basket in one layer and air fry for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until pink and opaque.
Timer: 7 min
Dolly’s tip: Shrimp go from juicy to rubbery fast. The minute they curl into a loose C, they’re done.Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
Fluff the rice with a fork, pile the shrimp on top, squeeze a lemon wedge over and scatter the parsley.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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30-minute dinners ›High-protein dinners ›What to make with shrimp and rice ›